Toilet deodorizer



Mardi 20, 1945- H. w. SANFORD ETAL 2,37923 TOILET DEODORIZER I FiledFeb. 15, 1943l s sheets-sheet :s

Patented Mar. 20, 1945- TOLETDEODQBIEB.'

` Hugh W; Sanford; Alfred F. Sanford,` II', andA Ralph C.BrueittKnoxville, Tenn.; sadAlfrod F. Santoni,A II, and. said Pruettassignors to said Hugh. Sanford Application vljehruary4 15, 1943, SerialNo.` 475,982

(Cl. 1M-Z13.)-

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a 'deodorizer for toilets.

' A. feature of the invention is thel provision ci existing toiletinstallation without change oi the.

permanently installed toilet howl and tankh'ocly. A further feature isthe provision of a deodoriZer structure.' including a removable topmorn.- ber for the toilet tank, with the top 'member providingconcealment for the exhaust elementsso that they are out of sight andprotected from damage, and with. the top member providing a smooth andiinishecl surface on top of the iiushng tank; the installation of theexhaust elements inthe removable top permitting easy lao-.- cess'forinspection and repairs when required, and aording concealmentof theexhaust pipe in such a Way that the exhaust gases may be delivered inany preferred direction..

With these and other features as objects of the invention,l illustrativeforms of. practicing the same are shown in the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a side elevation oica toilet having the structure of theinvention applied thereto,

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view substanmany on line 2+: of Fig.

Figure 3 is an upright transverse sectional viewv substantially on theline 3-.3 of 4.

Figure 4 is an upright sectional view substantally on the line 4-4 0iFig. 3. v i

Figure 5 shows various ways of making the de- Odorizer connection.

Fig/ure 6 shows a modifled structure yfor dispose ing of the exhaustedgases. y

In these drawings, the. illustrative toilet has a bowl l provided with aperipheral tulo'e Il at its upper edge, the interior ofthe tubecommunicating with the interior of thebowl by Oriiices l2, Thetoilettank I3 ismounted on the wall W and is supplied by Water through a Waterpipe Il. and during flushing discharges its content of water through theflushing pipe l5. into the. passage in the tube ll- The lower andupperseats l are mounted upon the bowl ata pivot Il.. The flushe. ing.of the toilet is effected loy the handle I8;

` These structures arel old and Wellknoung, inthe art, andare shownillustratively as an 'a'.sjsernlolage7 to which thepresent'inventionlnayrbe applied. I o A Switch bois is connected to thehowl and is operated by a plunger 2 l from the seats lli., suitablespring means. loot shown)v being. employed' 'f for normally. holding theseat lli in a slightly raised position with theswitcn open When thelower seat is occupied, the Weight of the occupant.

causes the switchl 20 to be closed. As set out .in the copendingapplication-oi. Hush Sani rd,

seriaiNo. struction@ spruit, 1911 this switch.

may include a timing device, whereby the circuit is helulcloseclfor apredetermined time interval.

alter the seat has been vacated.-

As shown. in cetau. is, l.; the. tank' lil the, ballcoclsassemlclr 2.5.within `it..con-, nectecl. to Water suuplvpipe lll,A anu, including.

the float arm 26 for a float (not shown). vivl'iich is actuated by thewater within the tank` lo; for' closing the loallcoclr-1 usualreilllwnine 2l leads from the. liallcoch for discharge intothe overflowpine zu which is connected brits. lower ehcl into the Douglass. valvestructure lll .inthe f usual way-Y '.Ifhe oallill closes theQouglassvalvef f and mache raiseol any .suitable fashion (not shown)upon actuation ofthe handle lll,

I According to thenresent invention, activer-M' is mounted upony the topof a toilet ,tank i3 zio-r closing anuessentiallv sealing. the same, a.gasket f G loeinginterpolated. if desired This cover has a front tvallfBilanci a ton wall el which are de?. signed toconiorm to the generalpattern of the tank It, and also ihcludes-ahottomf vvall.v 38 whichioinsthewalls liliand ll, to provide a chamber 4,0, which in theillustrated form extends irom r to the chamber 4.5L-

Side to sideoithis cover .Figf 2.). The. end. Walls 39. Qi 15h@ GQVQICOKIQim lio Uhl?. gle'al Rh'tftrll of the tank I3, and are illustratedasl having notches .4l at their rear portions. to hermitaccess integralwith one, another...

rue housing 4s or inserer 4c is muy" mounted .on the wall Sil by screws4,6, The uuner part oi the housing isconnectecl with the, 'sfucuc` Thehousing lill e'separable. connection lil to Whichis'attached one enfu oia flexible hose t?. which extends toward the right 'within the chamber40 in the illustrated folic, and is attached These walls oi the coverstructureV he formell, of porcelai.n.V plastic,.- or other materialsandare illustrated as being,

for the housing 45 and the L 55; and the preferred positioning of the L55 closely beneath the top wall 31 affords a permitted unrestrictedupward movement of the bottom wall 38, so that the cover may be raisedand lowered as a whole. Thev separable connections 5| and U areillustrated as peripheral clamping bands which are tightened or releasedby rotating the illustrated screws.

With this arrangement, while the fan is operating, air and gases withinthe toilet bowl is drawn through the slots l2 and along the passage inthe tube Il, and thence through the flushing pipe I5 and overflow pipe28 tothe free upper space within the tank and cover, and thence into theintake port 50. The movement of the fan then expels these gases throughthe flexible hose 52, 54 to a point outside of the toilet apartment. Asshown in Fig. l, the fixed pipe connection 55 is illustrated as leadingto the exterior of the building. I

Current for energizing the motor 49 maybe taken from an electricalconnection box 65 in the wall W, having the usual electrical receptacletherein, by a separable connectionv and conductor BB which leads to theswitch box 2U. When this switch is closed, current then flows Athroughthe conductor 61 to the motor, this conductor extending into the chamberMl, as shown in Fig. 2, and passing to the motor 49.

an internal annular trough 16 into which fits the skirt of a bell 1l'. Asolenoid 13 is connected by conductors Ela in parallel with the fanmotor 49, and raises the bell and holds it elevated while the fan isoperating, and permits the bell to drop to closing position when thecurrent ceases. The pipe 19 completes the discharge from the valve l5into the sewer S. A duct 80 from the ushing pipe I5 leads to the valve,for assuring delivery of a limited quantity of water into the trough 16at each ushing operation, whereby to compensate for any water losttherefrom by evaporation, etc. In this form, the gases are discharged tothe sewer and the valve 'I5 prevents any retrograde discharge of sewergas to the toilet apartmen-t while the fan is not running.

This form, like that of Figs. 1 to 4, permits employment of an airmoving means mounted as a part of a toilet tank top for exhausting gasesfrom the sealed space above the water level in the tank, and thusthrough the iiushing pipe connection to the bowl; and delivery of suchgases through an easily separable connection to a conduit which leadsthem outside the apartment.

It is obvious that the invention is not limited tothe illustrated formbut may be modified in many ways within the scope of the appendedclaims.

What is claimed:

l. A deodorizer for a toilet having a liushing tank including a footvalve and an overflow pipe connected to the toilet bowl by a flushingpipe,

comprising a cover for closing and essentially Depending upon theconstruction of the buildchamber 40 affords opportunity for disposingthe hose as necessaryv for the purposes in view. Thus, it may beextended in any of the various positions 10, 1|, 12, 'I3 (Fig. 5), inadditionto the particular location shown in Fig. 2.

lWhen it is desired to inspect the deodorizing apparatus, the ballcockor the Douglass valve, or otherwise gain access to the toilet tank andits associated parts, the cover 35 may be simply and directly raised asthis operation is permitted by the ilexibility of the hose 52, 454 andof conductor 61. The connection U between. the flexible hose. 52 and thehousing 45 and the connection to the conductor 61 are separated, and thecover can be taken from the toilet compartment for inspection or repair.It can be replaced easily Yby reverse operations. l

The structure of Figs. 1 to 5 permits substitution of a seat and switchstructure andof a sealing toilet tank top havingy the` fan and conduitconnections, in lieu of the plain seat and tank top presently employed,and without other changes in the tank, water pipes, or toilet bowl.Hence it can be utilized without fundamental change in the sewerconnections or major structures.

The air moving means, illustrated in the sev-` eral figures as acentrifugal force, exhausts air and gases from the sealed space abovethe water level in theta-nk, and the usual ballcock rell pipe remains inposition for delivery into the overflow pipe in the customary way.

In the modied form shown in Fig. 6, the discharge pipe 56 leads to themain sewer discharge S, through a valve 15 which is shown as havingsealing the top of the tank, an electrically driven fan including ahousing connected` to the cover structure and separable therewith fromthe tank, said cover including walls for providing a chamber open at therear of the cover, electrical conductor means connected with said fanhousing for energizing the same and extending in said chamber, said fanwhen energized being effective to draw air and gases from the toilettank and thereby evacuate air and gases through the ushing pipe andoverflow connection from the toilet bowl, and a gas discharge ductleading from said fan housing to a stationary discharge conduit andincluding a exible portion whereby the coverv may be removed from thetank without separation at said separable connection and therebypermitting access to and inspection of the parts normally concealed bythe cover, said duct also including a separable connection onlyaccessible while the cover is removed from the tank, said cover when inposition onthe tank being effective to conceal said fan and its housingand the discharge duct.

2. A deodorizer for a toilet having awall-supported iiushing tankconnected `to the toilet bowl by a valved flushing conduit and includingan open passageway leading from the flushing conduit at a point belowthe valve and communicating with the tank space above the maximum liquidlevel therein, said toilet also having a fixed gas discharge conduit,comprising a removable top structure for the tank, a fan structurelocated above the said maximum liquid level and having an inletcommunication with the tank space above said maximum liquid level andeffective for drawing air and gases from the bowl through said flushingconduit and said passageway, and a discharge duct from the fan structureto the fixed gas discharge conduit, said top structure including meansfor supporting the fan structure, said discharge duct including a exibleportion and a .separable connection by which the assembly of to theIower horizontal wall and including a port communicating with the spacewithin the ilushing l the cover parts, fan structure and supportingmeans may be removed from the tank Without severance of said connectionand thereafter disengaged from the flxed discharge conduit at saidconnection, said tank cover including parts cooperative with the tankand the said supporting wall for concealing the fan structure anddischarge duct when in operating position. i

3. A deodorizer for a toilet having a flushing tank connected to andsupportedl on an upright wall and includingva foot valve and an overowpipe connected to the toilet bowl by a flushing pipe, said toilet alsoincluding a iixed gas discharge conduit having an end accessible at apoint of said Wall above thetank, comprising a cover for closingvandessentially sealing the top of the tankl and extending substantially tothe said .upright wall, said cover including spaced upper and lowersubstantially horizontal walls and other walls delimiting .a rearwardlyopen pocket between said horizontal walls, the pocket being locatedopposite the end of said fixed conduit, the lower Wall being sealed tothe flushing tank, a fan housing and a fan therein for drawing air fromthe toilet tank, said housing being fixed tank and including a dischargeconnection leading to saidpocket, said fan when energized being eiectiveto draw air and gases from the iiushing tank and deliver the same to thedischargeconnection, a discharge conduit leading from said fan dischargeconnection and including a separable connection and a flexible portionlocatedk within said pocket, vsaid flexible portion being f effective topermit movement of the cover-wrelative to the flushing tank withoutseparation at said separable connection and'to permit connection of saiddischarge connection to the end' of the fixed conduit regardless of therelative location ofthe said end within the wall area delimited .by thesaid open pocket, said cover including parts e'iiective to conceal saidfan housing, sepa.

